This is a complete rewrite of “ReviveUS”. Everything I’ve tried to say is brought out in dramatic language of action in the movie “Courageous”. The movie explains the very thing I’ve seen as I’ve been involved in Men’s ministries, a Rescue mission, and a Crisis Pregnancy Center (working with men). “ReviveUS” stands for Revival in America (USA). And the evidence is clear, that revival MUST start with, and can only be achieved, by the leadership AND INVOLVEMENT of Godly Men. Men who are involved with their families as the Gate Keepers of their home and provide ALL that’s needed for their families instead of just being the “head” and siphoning off all the labor, love, and emotional and spiritual energy of their family. Men who are Spirit led like the Apostles Peter, Thomas, and Paul; and not like the men Peter the Fisherman, Thomas the doubter, and Saul the persecutor, who though brandishing swords and arrest warrants, later used the Spirit’s power for greater strength to care for, nurture, and grow the church of Jesus Christ.
The trailer for the movie “Courageous” only touches on the acting, drama, and action in this most excellent film. And did I mention there’s a bonus of an excellent Christian Message also. Casting Crowns also does an excellent song using the same title “Courageous”.
I have written a post, Economic Inequality, that shows the far reaching effects of men not leading, starting with marriage, in the home. Until our homes are stronger, there is no amount of government involvement that could ever, even if working as designed, substitute for the lack of a Godly man in the homes of America. We have a current American culture that relies on sports commercials and sitcoms to negatively define the role of men in the home. And we have an American culture that is too busy to sit down and study to see that hearsay knowledge has wholly misrepresented what true Christian faith is.
Men are the victims of an anti-Christian culture and dysfunctional families. The churches often are unwilling or unable to be involved and confront the current ills of society’s corrupted models of families. One very basic rule in any situation where another party may have caused a problem is that the other party doesn’t care and has passed the problem on to the victim. At that point the victim already has the responsibility and can only get out from under the problem by becoming the accountable person. Men (or boys in men’s bodies) need the mentoring of a Godly man plus their own personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ in order to learn the instincts of a Godly Husband and Father. The charge at the end of the movie is “Where are you men of courage?!” Two of the men in the movie take the responsibility of mentoring two young men who are not their own and who would normally be left behind.
The importance of a Godly Father can be measured statistically also. The following is an excerpt from “15 qualities every family needs to see in a dad and why”. The highlighting in color is my doing. For those who say what does religion have to do with anything I have two answers. 1) The results are too dramatic to be the result of human effort alone. 2) The resulting changed lives are too close to Biblical standards for the Bible to be irrelevant.
1. One who is saved and seeking a daily walk with God (Gen. 5:24; 6:9).
It creates in the family a hunger for God.
Genesis 5:24 – “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”
Genesis 6:9 – “These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.”
- “When the mother of the family is the first person to accept Christ, the rest of the family will convert 17% of the time. When a child is first, the family follows 31% of the time. However, when the father turns to Christ first, the family will follow him 93% of the time.”
- -Stand Firm, July 2000 (p. 3)
This site will look at several issues – all related to personal accountability (of men mostly):
Christian Discipline – especially men.
Our Christian Heritage.
Citizen responsibilities in our political system.
Suggested constitutional amendments to return to a “republican” form of government.
Please contact keeper by E-Mail if you have a message for me rather than a comment for this blog. Also write me if you notice any problems using this site. I get lot’s of traffic but no comments. I think my contrary opinions as a conservative critical of conservatism and the public in general would generate a lot of comments. But so far only SPAM.